Two moons began to retreat, fading behind the hills as the broad light of dawn crept over the horizon. Gaia's mornings… weren't all that different from Earth's.
The chill. The silence. The golden hue that made everything feel like it hadn't decided what kind of day it would become yet. All the same.
Except now, he was in a fantasy world.
Aexl stepped out of the hall, boots hitting dirt. The only real difference?
An ostrich-sized, Big headed with large beak poultry bird, what the villagers called a cuckoo—ran freely across the path. One darted past him, its massive head turning sideways, almost as if sizing him up.
He met its gaze briefly. Then it vanishes as it jumps down to the foot of this village hall
In his arms, he hugged the cloak Lyssa had given him last night. It still held the same scent of smoke, lavender, and something warm.
He tugged the cloak tighter and glanced down at himself.
The pants were roughspun, the boots stiff, and the white tunic hung loosely over his frame stitched by hand, uneven at the seams. Clothes not made for him, but given by Lyssa last night with a wordless nod and a folded gesture.
They felt foreign. Primitive. But oddly… they fit.
No zippers. No combat-grade fiber. No name tags.
Just wool, leather,linen and most of all has a pocket
And yet somehow, it grounded him like armor from another era he never trained for.
His breath slipped out like a sigh.
"Twenty-one versus five hundred," he muttered under his breath. "Ideally suicide. But modern wars… aren't fought like that. Not with guerrilla style."
He moved forward, scanning the path as he made his way toward the stable.
"I can win in games," he said quietly, as if convincing someone or maybe himself. "I've read every theory. Studied every commander. And I know this—"
He paused.
"Giving people false hope? That's worse than losing. That's getting them killed."
Another breath. Colder this time.
"But if things go smoothly…"
His voice fell even lower.
"…all will be according to plan."
He raised his phone.
The glass caught a sliver of light.
His eyes lingered on the photo app.
Just one more look...
That was the excuse.
He'd already watched it three times.
And yet, the memory wouldn't leave him.
Not since last night.
Perched on the roof of the first floor, moonlight pouring across the village like a soft veil.
He was crouched low, barefooted silent against the wooden tiles, back pressed near the slope.
He hadn't meant to spy. That wasn't the mission.
He was here to do something noble… maybe rescue somebody.
Rescue, not voyeurism.
At least, that's how it started.
But what he saw what burned into his brain
Juvia's silhouette, barely concealed by a sheer sleeping gown.
No bra. No undergarments. Just her body arching, panting, her hand pressed between her thighs as if caught in a battle of pleasure and desperation.
At first, he thought she was in pain.
Instinct had almost made him knock.
But then
"Gen… General Ae…"
She whispered his name, half-formed, breathy, lost in rhythm.
That wasn't painful. That was needed.
Aexl froze.
Every tactical instinct screamed to walk away.
But he didn't.
His eyes were glued to the soft, glowing fabric clinging to her. The outline of her chest rising and falling. The way her hips shifted, slowly… deliberately… grinding into her own palm.
If that window weren't locked, he might've…
No. No, he wouldn't.
He wasn't that kind of man.
Was he?
His breath hitched. The cold morning wind around him didn't even register—he was hot. Hard.
Shame and heat wrestled in his gut.
"I shouldn't be watching this," he muttered, trying to look away. About to stand up
Then—
Bzzzt.
The Ephone vibrated violently in his hand.
[A Trigger Condition Has Been Detected]
"Huh…? What the hell…" Aexl blinked, staring at the screen.
He tapped.
Suddenly, the screen shifted.
[H-Lords]
Loading…
Same interface.
Same app.
But this time… the icons were shaded.
Silhouettes, hidden in shadow. Only one flickered faintly.
?????????
(Condition to Unlock: Capture a Wild Maiden's Heart)
(Price: 800 Command Coins)
"Capture?" Aexl echoed, brows furrowing.
He glanced back at Juvia—still arching, still pacing, her breath fogging the window ever so slightly. The fabric clung tighter with each movement.
He glanced back at the Ephone.
"…Capture? Like… record?"
His eyes shifted to the camera app.
He tilted his head, scratched it.
"What the hell is this app even doing…?"
No point in overthinking it.
He needed an army.
And now…
An opportunity had come.
Aexl slid the camera app open.
Moved quietly to the edge of the roofline.
Angled the lens just right through the gap in the curtain.
Zoom in. Steady. Capture.
The screen froze for a second—
A full view of Juvia… lost in her own pleasure.
Aexl's gut clenched.
Pain bloomed deep in his lower belly, tension spiraling from his spine to his thighs.
He tried to avert his gaze.
He really did.
But thirty minutes passed.
Pain. Heat. Focus. Shame. Desire.
All swirling.
Finally, he pulled back. To reality
I tried to breathe.
Tried to return to himself.
As his finger hovered over the screen again.
Camera roll.
Photo thumbnails.
One was highlighted.
He tapped the image.
As it opened, he whispered—
"…Just one more time. Won't do me bad before making a stroll
Out of the blue
"Looking for the exit?" came a familiar voice from behind.
Aexl flinched—hard.
The phone slipped from his fingers, clattering against the ground.
He scrambled to snatch it up, heart hammering.
But the sound still echoed.
"Haaah… hhhahh… haaah… hhhahh…"
The moaning.
Still playing.
Still loud.
Aexl panicked, turning the screen off in a frenzy, fingers fumbling. As he spun around
There she was.
Lyssa.
Standing a few paces away, arms full.
She wore a simple white village dress—almost translucent where the light pierced through it. The shape of her undergarments faintly visible beneath the soft fabric, the color its black. In her hands, a neatly folded tunic and a small leather pack.
Her expression?
It wasn't annoyance.
It wasn't cold.
It was… relief.
The kind you try to hide but can't quite suppress.
Like she'd half-expected him to be gone.
She took a step closer, her eyes flicking briefly to the phone in his hand.
"What was that sound?"
Aexl glanced over his shoulder, forcing a weak smirk.
"…Nothing."
She blinked. Slowly.
"That sounded like the ghost."
"Yeah, I know—uh, no—no, yes—yes, I mean—ghost?" Aexl's voice cracked mid-stammer. He coughed into his hand, trying to look composed.
Lyssa's lips twitched. Amused? He couldn't tell.
"Every night during a full twin moon," she said, tone matter-of-fact, "a ghost haunts the second floor of this hall. A woman's voice. Panting. Whispering for help."
She turned her gaze to the upper window above them, eyes distant.
"I usually hear it every morning… but by then I'm half-asleep. Juvia told me to ignore it."
Aexl blinked.
"…Ghost, huh?"
He adjusted the Phone in his arms, biting back a cough.
"Figures Juvia would say ignore it."
Lyssa glanced down at the phone again, then looked up with a faint smile.
She ignored the sound and asked plainly,
"So... trying to escape? Looking for a horse?"
"Escape?" Aexl echoed, his brow furrowing as he glanced toward the empty stable.
"To be honest... there's not even a horse here."
He crossed his arms, letting out a breath through his nose.
"Why would I run? After everything that's been said and done… I'm not the type to back out on my word."
He paused, then added with a shrug:
"I was just looking for a mount. Wanted to scout the area—confirm a few things."
Lyssa's smile faded. Her gaze sharpened.
"Well, I wouldn't blame you," she said flatly.
"It wouldn't be the first time someone bolted on us."
"Someone already left you?" Aexl asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yeah."
She nodded, voice quiet but steady.
"Other generals. We've had a few. Didn't last long."
She stepped forward and handed him the bundle.
"Thank you."
Aexl raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For playing the part yesterday," she said, her tone gentle now.
"For shifting the blame onto Maevra... for getting them angry... for asking me to be your wife in front of everyone... and for giving them a plan—roles, direction."
She turned around slowly.
"At the very least, if you did leave, I'd have something to tell the villagers. Something to explain it all. Something to hold onto."
Her voice trailed off as she walked toward the wooden fence.
Aexl noticed it then the sadness in her step. Not dramatic. Just real.
Lyssa stopped near the edge, eyes scanning the village below.
"To be honest…" she murmured, "we don't know what we're going to do."
Aexl stepped closer.
He reached out and tapped her shoulder.
"First of all, I'm not bolting," he said firmly.
"Second... I meant what I said."
She turned, slowly.
"I said I'd take you as my wife," Aexl continued.
"And Selene? That'd be a bonus."
He smirked—half soldier, half conqueror.
"This world... it bows to royalty. To bloodlines. That's the language it understands."
His hand clenched into a fist.
"And as the first campaign of my conquest—Eldenthyr will be the beginning."
He looked toward the mountains.
"To do that... I need to kill those orcs."
Lyssa finally faced him fully, dress fluttering faintly behind her.
"So, if there's one thing you should be worried about," Aexl continued, his gaze steady on her, "it's me winning... and getting my hands on you."
He let that linger for a second.
"I need your people, Lyssa. I need them to conquer this world again."
Something stirred in her chest. A strange pulse.
Deep down, a part of her believed him.
That maybe, just maybe, this man could bring back what had once been lost.
And if the price to protect the village... was herself?
Then so be it.
Her thoughts wandered briefly, to Selene, and the way she had offered herself without hesitation.
She looked back at Aexl, eyes serious.
"Again?" she asked.
"Too long to explain now," he replied. "But it would help if I could meet Maevra. I have questions for her. Any idea where she went?"
"Maevra usually vanishes after a trade," Lyssa said, nodding past him. "Probably exited through that gate."
She pointed toward the village gate, the one that led into an open field and thick forest.
Then, without ceremony, she pointed at the leather bag in his arms.
"There's food and supplies in there," she added casually. "In case you plan to run away."
Aexl stared at her, expression changing as if to say Really?
His brow furrowed, clearly not amused.
Lyssa burst out laughing.
"I'm kidding," she said, but her tone was half-teasing, half-sincere.
"It was like this before too. They all said nice things… and never came back."
Aexl's jaw clenched.
"Take your morning stroll," Lyssa continued, softening a little. "I'll make sure the things you asked for last night get handled. I'll tell the guards to proceed as you requested."
She turned slightly, her voice lowering.
"As for Maevra, yeah, she might be able to answer your question. And maybe, just maybe, she can tell you how to return to your world…"
A small pause.
"…without finishing your mission."
Aexl's eyes sharpened.
"Seriously? Why do you all keep thinking I'll run?" he said, irritation creeping into his tone.
Lyssa shrugged. "Can't say. Just a feeling."
Then she turned and walked off without looking back.
Aexl sighed.
"Run away, huh?" he muttered. "From that?"
His eyes drifted down, watching the way the morning light passed clean through the thin white dress she wore, clinging like fog to every curve of her body.
"From that, I'd run?"
He scoffed.
"I held back yesterday... but from now on?"
A grin spread across his face.
"…Game time."